Brevissime 2026 at the Stefano Bardini Museum
A new series of events dedicated to art history and cultural heritage will run until December 3
What makes a work of art a masterpiece? Is it a matter of artistic value, recognition, trends, or critical acclaim? And above all: Is the concept of a masterpiece truly universal, or does it change over time?These questions form the basis of the new edition of Brevissime, the series of lectures dedicated to art history and cultural heritage, scheduled in Florence through December 3. The theme chosen for this season is a word as common as it is difficult to define: MASTERPIECE.Through scholarly lectures designed for a broad audience, ten internationally renowned scholars and speakers will explore the concept from diverse perspectives. This interdisciplinary journey begins with literature and archaeology, passes through the Renaissance and the history of collecting, moves on to 20th-century architecture, and extends all the way to the provocations of contemporary art.
Brevissime in Florence: the schedule of events
Following its stint at Palazzo Corsini during the Antiques Biennale, Brevissime returns to the Bardini Museum.On October 15, archaeologist Mario Iozzo will discuss the Rex Vasorum—that is, the famous François Vase—considered one of the cornerstones of 6th-century B.C. Greek artistic craftsmanship.
On October 22, Aldo Galli will take the stage, using the altarpiece depicting the Martyrdom of Saint Sebastian—housed at the National Gallery in London—as a starting point to reflect on the transience of the notion of a masterpiece and the criteria by which a work is recognized as such.
On November 5, Cecilia Hurley will present Emulating Florence: Masterpiece Rooms in European Museums, 1780–1919. The lecture will trace the history of the so-called “masterpiece rooms”—modeled after the Uffizi’s Tribuna—and their role in the development of 19th-century European museology. The session will be held in English, with simultaneous translation available upon reservation.
On November 12, Luca Mattedi will explore the relationship between the Renaissance and the concept of the masterpiece in “And It Truly Was a School for the World”: Masterpieces of Art According to the Men of the Renaissance. The lecture will focus on a comparison between contemporary artistic standards and those of the Renaissance era, to illustrate how perceptions of a work’s extraordinary nature can vary.
On November 19, Roberto Dulio will focus on one of the most iconic buildings of 20th-century Florentine architecture with A Misunderstood Masterpiece: the Florence SMN Train Station. The lecture offers a reinterpretation of the station designed by Giovanni Michelucci and the Gruppo Toscano, seeking to move beyond critical sanctification and historical controversies to analyze its role in 20th-century architecture.
On November 26, Silvia Davoli and Adriano Aymonino will lead a joint lecture titled “Mal giudicar puossi”: The Stone Volumes of Leone Strozzi. The focus is on the Strozzi Albums from the late 17th century, through which to explore the relationship between nature, artifice, collecting, and the culture of the Grand Tour. This perspective offers insight into what “masterpiece” might have meant to a collector in the early 18th century.
Closing out the season, on December 3, will be Cloe Piccoli with Hic sunt leones, a reflection on the concept of the masterpiece in 20th- and 21st-century art. From Marcel Duchamp and Andy Warhol to Damien Hirst, Tracey Emin, and Maurizio Cattelan, the lecture explores the works and artists who have radically challenged the boundaries of art.
Brevissime. Lezioni di storia delle arti
Museo Stefano Bardini
Piazza de’ Mozzi, Firenze
Until December 3
Tickets can only be purchased online HERE